2024 Korea Art Festival Will Be Held This September, Connecting Gwangju, Busan, and Seoul

A large-scale art festival in Korea will be held this fall. The 2024 Korea Art Festival is expected to serve as an opportunity to expand the growing interest in art and to promote K-art to the global market.

The 2024 Korea Art Festival, which integrates various art events in Gwangju, Busan, and Seoul, will be held in September. Accordingly, the Art Week (September 1 – 11, 2024) of the Ministries of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) links together the Gwangju Biennale (September 7 – December 1, 2024), the Busan Biennale (August 17 – October 20, 2024), the global art fairs Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul (September 4 – 8, 2024), and Seoul Art Week (September 2 – 8, 2024). 

To this end, MCST, Gwangju City, Busan Metropolitan City, and Seoul Metropolitan Government announced a joint declaration that they will promote the festival as a representative Korean art event by linking various exhibitions, events, and schedules, including close cooperation. In addition to them, the Galleries Association of Korea, Frieze Seoul, Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS), and Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) will participate.

Until last year, Art Week was limited to integrated promotions and exhibition discounts for local governments and public and private art events. This year, the focus is on organically linking art events across the country.

During the 2024 Korea Art Festival, a number of high-quality exhibitions of national, public, and private museums and galleries will also be held in addition to events led by local governments. The goal is to meet the standards of not only Koreans but also foreign art lovers visiting Korea. Representatively, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), Seoul, will hold various participatory events and artist exchange events, including “Connecting Body: Asian Women’s Artists” (opening on September 4) and opening at night.

K-art will also be actively promoted to overseas art markets. To this end, Kiaf Seoul, Frieze Seoul, and KAMS will co-host the “Korean Art Discussion Conference” (September 5 – 7) at COEX Studio 159. “We will mobilize all relevant agencies and overseas branches to promote our art to the global market,” Minister Yu In-chon said. “We will create a market where young and senior artists can be recognized not only in Korea but also abroad.”

In addition, tourism and transportation convenience for visitors will be provided for the successful hosting and operation of the 2024 Korea Art Festival. The integrated ticket linking the Gwangju Biennale and the Busan Biennale will be sold at about USD 17, a 30% discount compared to the flat rate. The ticket holder will receive discounts and free admission to major art museums such as the Seoul Arts Center and the Leeum Museum of Art.

The Korea Railroad Corporation will sell high-speed rail (KTX) tour packages that connect tickets to the Biennale. KTO will guide tour courses that map art facilities in each region and promote the sale of walking art tour products as well as tourism products linked to art festivals.

MCST will promote this festival through its website, social networking services, outdoor electronic billboards owned by the government and local governments, and airport and train stations. It plans to actively provide information to overseas markets by utilizing the Korean Cultural Center and KTO’s overseas branches. The plan is aimed at promoting fine art and K-art. K-culture is currently in the spotlight overseas, at home, and abroad. The 2024 Korea Art Festival contains the will to unite local art festivals and foster them as representative brands of Korean art.

For more information on Korean art events, check out Auction Daily’s coverage of spring 2024 Korean art fairs.